This invention relates to powered material handling apparatus, and more particularly to a carriage structure having material handling and cradling devices, the entire assemblage being movable along tracks and being adapted for cooperation with material working equipment such as heavy power shears and the like.
In the distribution and sale of steel stock material, such as bars, strips, sheets and the like, the problem of handling and cutting to size the stock material becomes one of not only storing the heavy steel, but also one of manipulating relatively large and massive pieces and shapes, and cutting the same to the customer's specifications. Steel warehouses employ large overhead cranes which travel on overhead tracks, heavy racking equipment and also powerful sawing and shearing machinery adapted to accommodate large stock sizes weighing thousands of pounds. Power-operated shears are used, which cut through heavy sections of steel plate so as to provide the desired sizes needed by the trade. In handling and working the stock, power-operated fork-lift trucks transport the raw and cut stock, in addition to the overhead cranes, trams and kindred devices. Roller-type supports are commonly used, mounted on fixed vertical stanchions to carry the large and heavy steel plates from which smaller pieces are to be cut. The sheared or cut portions of the steel plates are commonly delivered from the shears by powerful belt conveyors.
Heretofore a problem has existed in the handling of the cut sheet sections after the shearing thereof and removal from the shear. It was customary in some cases to locate a fork-lift truck at the discharge end of the shear to receive the heavy sheared plate sections. This involved an appreciable amount of manual labor, in directing the heavy sheared plate sections onto the lift truck, and the operation generally did not progress at a very rapid rate, in addition to requiring personnel which were physically capable of handling the heavy steel.
The above disadvantage and drawback of handling and transporting heavy, sheared steel plate sections is obviated by the present invention, which has as an object the provision of an improved sheet stock handling apparatus adapted to physically shift heavy, cut steel plates from the discharge conveyor of the shear, and to store such plates in a stacking arrangement by which they can be readily removed through the use of a fork-lift truck and transported to the desired racking or shipping station. Another object of the invention is to provide an improved, powered, material-handling apparatus as above set forth, which is especially simple in its construction and easily manipulated, while at the same time being powerful and rugged, and particularly adapted to handle heavy work and loads without malfunctioning or failure.
A feature of the invention resides in the provision of an improved material handling apparatus as above set forth, which can be readily operated by personnel of limited physical capability, since no heavy pulling or lifting operations are required of the personnel.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved, traveling-carriage type of material handling apparatus in accordance with the foregoing, wherein the power-supply cabling for the apparatus is so constituted and arranged that it serves a double function in automatically roping off restricted areas which might prove hazardous to personnel, during all phases of the operation of the apparatus.
Another feature of the invention resides in the provision of power-cable reeling equipment as above, wherein the cables extend along the track rails in raised locations so as to automatically cordon off areas defined by the rails.
In accomplishing the above objects the invention provides an elongate carriage structure which is movable along parallel track rails and which has spaced-apart upright truck portions at its opposite ends, provided with wheels for engagement with the rails. The carriage structure comprises framing which includes cross members that rigidly connect together the two trucks.
Each truck has a vertically movable cross-head which is shiftable in vertical guides and is operated by power means such as hydraulic cylinders. Extending between the trucks is a pair of heavy cross beams which, at their ends, are connected to the cross-heads. Operation of the powerful hydraulic cylinders can raise and lower the cross-heads and the interconnecting beams secured thereto.
Slidably carried by the cross beams are fork structures which include pulling arms and supporting tines, both extending laterally away from the beams and being adapted for pulling and stacking sheared plate sections. The fork structures have special, anti-friction roller means which are especially rugged to withstand heavy loading while at the same time enabling the fork structures to be easily shifted along the lengths of the beams by moderate manual power, when not loaded. The functioning of the apparatus is such that it can be utilized to pull heavy sheet sections from the conveyor of the power shear by virtue of the trucks being made to travel along the parallel track rails. And, the sheared plate sections can be vertically on the tines of the fork structures by a combination of the above movement with raising and lowering movement of the cross-heads on the trucks. As a consequence, the heavy work that was heretofore required by personnel at the discharge of the power shear is no longer needed, being replaced by power equipment which can be easily operated, thus enabling the handling of the material to be more quickly and reliably carried out with the likelihood of less injury to personnel, and with less physical exertion.
Other features and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear.